It is known that water used for jet propulsion of watercraft can also be diverted for spraying, including for use in fire fighting. Providing diverted water spraying capability to jet propelled watercraft has involved having necessary valving and piping systems included as the craft is being built or having these systems added later after making physical modifications to the jet propelled watercraft and its propulsion system, which can be expensive and time consuming.
Providing water borne fire fighting capability is important because boat fires are among the most difficult to combat and this situation includes boat fires at marinas. Compact parking of many boats and limited water space to maneuver are common situations at marinas. Access from land to marina docked boats is generally from dock systems that include docks, ramps and floating docks that can be small and over a hundred feet long. Typically dock systems are narrow and designed for light commercial use. Bringing hose-lines over long sections of dock systems can be extremely difficult. The hose-lines tend to fall into the water or catch on power posts, rope cleats, water faucets and other dock features. Further complicating fighting marina fires is the fact that mooring lines can burn through and a burning boat can float away from the dock to include floating into other distant docked boats.
An early known example of providing a high pressure water supply for auxiliary uses on jet propelled craft is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,276,193. Here a system for providing high pressure water on a watercraft is described as including an on board centrifugal fluid pump initially used for propulsion that also includes on board connections and on board valve controlled branches for supplying water under pressure to stand pipes. Plumbing connections for providing the high pressure lines from the centrifugal fluid pump would most conveniently be below deck to eliminate hazards from having to step over and around the centrifugal fluid pump and associated plumbing. For small craft that are not initially built with plumbing for providing auxiliary high pressure water lines there is commensurately limited space available for later installing necessary connections, piping and valving to provide auxiliary high pressure water lines that would be required for the described system.
A later example of providing high pressure water for auxiliary uses on water jet propelled craft is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,630. Here again a system for providing high pressure water on a watercraft is described as including an on board jet pump that includes on board connection, piping and an on board valve system for supplying water under pressure to an auxiliary high pressure line. The jet pump with associated plumbing would again for safety and convenience need to be enclosed or below decking. Unavoidably therefore in the case of small craft not initially built with auxiliary high pressure water lines, as described here, there would be commensurately limited space available for installing necessary connections, piping and valving to provide the auxiliary high pressure water supply.
A jet propulsion apparatus for watercraft that includes an auxiliary water service pipe having an off-take connection external to the hull is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,573. The auxiliary water service pipe is brought back into the hull through an aperture in the transom. Therefore, watercraft on which this system is used must originally be made with the aperture in the transom or the aperture must be cut in later before the system can be installed.
A jet propelled watercraft built for fire fighting that uses diverted water for spraying is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,516. Connection to a turbine pump also used for jet propulsion along with piping and valving to provide high pressure water for fire fighting are all installed within the hull. So again connections adjacent the turbine pump and substantial portions of piping and valving must be located below decks if the crew is to be able to conveniently and safely move about the craft.
An example of modifications made to a small watercraft that include a connection for a hose is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,060. Specifically, here modifications for a conventional outboard motor that can be mounted on a watercraft are described. The outboard motor is modified to simultaneously provide both waterjet propulsion and high pressure water from spray pipes that can direct streams of water mixed with chemicals for controlling growth of algae, aquatic weeds or the like. Described modifications are substantial, including installation of a centrifugal pump to the drive shaft for the outboard engine propeller. Specifically, the described modifications are identified as being intended to optimize use of a watercraft for spraying as opposed to fast jet propelled travel in combination with providing an auxiliary water supply.